The much-heralded introduction of the 5G mobile phone service in the US hit turbulence on its first day amid fears of “catastrophic” risks to aircrafts.
The new C-Band 5G service, which was scheduled to launch today in the US, has been delayed near key airports after airlines warned yesterday it could render aircrafts unusable (read more).
Telecoms giants AT&T and Verizon made the call to partially delay the take-off as travellers faced chaos at several major airports after flights were either cancelled or rescheduled due to safety concerns.
US airlines want to ban 5G within two miles of airport runways as the high-speed wireless service uses a similar radio spectrum to altimeters, a device that measures the distance between an aircraft and the ground, Sky News said.
Altimeters help pilots land in poor-visibility conditions and link to other aeroplane systems.
"This means on a day like yesterday more than 1,100 flights and 100,000 passengers would be subjected to cancellations, diversions or delays," the Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday.
Emirates airline and Japan’s All Nippon Airways delayed some flights to the US on Tuesday, while ANA responded to a Boeing notice warning airlines of the use of 777 long-haul planes amid radio interference worries.
The chief executives of 10 major passenger and cargo airlines including American Delta, United, and Southwest insist the problem will cause more suspensions and cancellations than first thought.
And could "potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas" and cause "chaos" for US flights, they said.
AT&T and Verizon insist C-Band 5G has been implemented in roughly 40 countries without any issues.
US President Joe Biden said his administration team will continue to work with both parties to reach a permanent solution as soon as possible.
The agreements "will avoid potentially devastating disruptions to passenger travel, cargo operations, and our economic recovery, while allowing more than 90% of wireless tower deployment to occur as scheduled," said Biden.